One step at a time
by EmpireofShadow
Summary: Obviously Spoiler. Do not read anything Undertale without playing/experiencing the game for yourself. And this little nugget came to me because I REFUSED to give up on a better ending.


So, this game really got to me. Inspiring me to write SOMETHING for it. If I can find more motivation, there may be another chapter or two for this.

All character and the amazing game in general belong to Toby Fox

One step at a time.

The familiar air of the ruins fills your lungs as you continue along the corridors. How long has it been? You know that, in relative time, it has only been 3 or 4 days since you first fell into this world, but with the amount of times you've been forced into resetting…

You really don't want to think about it.

Coming back here…..it feels like it may have been a bad idea. Coming back here makes you feel the weight of your sins crawl along your back, making every step harder than the last….but you feel that you have to, even if you're not exactly certain why.

The barrier was broken. The King, Asgore, was preparing his people for the trek back to the surface world. Telling them that there was not to be war with the humans, but instead an era of peace between the two races like in times long ago.

You…..you don't know how that will turn out. You're time here has made you too jaded to think that it'll be an easy road to follow. The road of peace never is…..but you also know that it is a road worth pursuing. That you'll do everything in your power to help achieve that ideal.

You were 8yrs old when you fell down here. You're birthday less than a week ago, and yet you're thinking as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders. You laugh at the absurdity of it, the sound echoing along the stone walls.

You don't know why you came back here. Surely, there were better places you could be. Any place could be better you think as you reach the spot you met Flowey for several first times. Only here do your feet finally briefly stop, letting the warmth of the shaft of light hit your skin as you rethink why one last time.

You take a deep breath, feeling a now familiar urge well within you; one that buried another, far darker one. That urge…that urge that replaced the other, that helped direct you in what to do, what to say so that you'd never have to follow the other again. You can feel it directing you back here, no matter how much you want to run away. You trust this urge, this compulsion that helped you free everyone, helped to give everyone their "Happy Ending". You step on, going through the gateway and turn to the place you fell down into on that first day.

The Flowers are still there, and you now know the reason why after speaking with Toriel about it. They had always been what you'd taken note of first every other time you'd been here…but not this time as you see someone you'd never truly expect to see again. The sight of which makes your heart ache, instantly wiping out your expected dread at being back here again.

Your feet are walking without any conscious directive from your brain, carrying you to them. You…..you don't think he's noticed you. His back is turn, just looking at the bed of flowers with tired looking eyes. It isn't until you're only a few feet away from him that he even moves, his long ear twitching as he finally turns his gaze away from them to meet your own. You stop, that look in his eyes…..

You've seen that look so many times in the mirror.

A smile pushes against that look when he realizes who you are, but fails to hide the red in his eyes. "Hey Frisk."

You're frozen, every single emotion that you long since buried surging to the surface crashing down against you. Happiness, fear, anger, love…..sadness. You don't know him, he made your life down here hell, but….

Asriel's smile turns a little more genuine as he tears his eyes away from your's, returning them to Chara's grave. "Don't worry about me. Someone has to take care of these flowers."

The statement….the utter acceptance it has of his fate…..that dark urge you have buried for so long rages against it, and you, for once, are in complete agreement with it. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT! YOU'RE STILL HERE! YOU CAN'T JUST…DON'T YOU KNOW….WHY AREN'T YOU WITH THEM?"

Asriel flinches as if physically struck. His expression, what little of it you can see with him turned away from you, dropping all pretext of acting like he's alright. "Frisk…please leave me alone. I can't come back. I just….can't, OK?"

You step forward again, not knowing what you planned on doing, just that you have to do…..something. You grab ahold of Asriel's shirt, turning him around and forcing him to look at you in the eye.

He's…crying. Fresh tears are traveling a well-worn path along the fur of his face. But….even through the tears his gaze is more solid than you ever remember it being. You can feel his determination clashing against your own as you let go of his shirt. He drops to his knees, but keeps his eyes fixed on you, never losing the steel in them. "I don't want to break their hearts all over again. It's better if they never see me."

A word nearly escapes your lips, a word no 8yr old had any right to know, but you rein the impulse in. You know what he means, why he'd be breaking their hearts again if they knew. It was the same reason you hadn't told them the entire truth about the barrier breaking…..

Life sucks.

As you think this, Asriel finally tears his gaze away, looking down. "…..why are you still here? Are you trying to keep me company?"

You don't know what you want, not anymore. But before you can say as much, the child before you again turns his gaze at you again, his tears once again dried. "…..Frisk. Hey. Let me ask you a question."

You nod to him to continue, mind still….muddled. You don't know what you can do…..but you still feel as if there is something you can.

"Frisk…Why did you come here? Everyone knows the legend, right….?" Asriel pauses, looking unsure of himself, his eyes briefly trailing off before returning to you again. "'Travelers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear.'"

You….nod your head slowly as you affirm what he told you, having a sinking suspicion where he is going with this line of thought.

"Frisk…why would you ever climb a mountain like that? Was it foolishness, or fate? Or was it…because you…"

…You have almost forgotten if you're being honest with yourself. It seems a lifetime ago. Now….your reasons seem so….petty.

Asriel sighs. His eyes trail downward. "I suppose it doesn't really matter now. If you don't want to tell me"

"I made a bad decision," you say, the words flowing from your lips before you could stop them. Asriel looks up at you, confusion evident in them. "I….I got somebody hurt because I did something incredibly stupid, and because of it, someone I care about…they may already be…." Now it's your turn to cry, sinking to your knees with Asriel as you remember what has been so far from your mind for so long. "I….I didn't think it was fair. That they would pay for my mistakes…But I think you know as well as I that life doesn't really do fair, does it?" You smile at Asriel and feel that light inside you grow brighter as the first genuine smile you've seen from him shine through. A sad smile, but a smile all the same.

"But…but that doesn't mean we don't keep pressing on, does it?" Asriel asks, lifting himself to his feet after a few moments. He offers his hand to help you up as well.

"No….it doesn't." You pause, looking at the monster's hand for a moment as the final pieces fall into place. Rather than take it, you reach around your neck, taking off the locket that had been tucked away inside your shirt. The second it is in view, Asriel's gaze lock onto it. "I think….this belongs to you, doesn't it?"

Asriel nods numbly, his body trembling as you press it into his hands. "…Chara gave it to me….it was…it was a present for my birthday. He said that he was so happy with the gift I gave him….he HAD to get me something he knew I'd like just as much."

You nod, the darkness inside you stirring with something you'd never before felt from it.

Fear

"You're going to see them again Asriel…..I promise you….." You reach into your belt. Now both voices are screaming inside your head. This IS NOT how this story is supposed to go. They did not want you to do this. You CAN'T do this.

But you refused.

Hand trembling, you take Chara's gift…and plunge it into your chest.


End file.
